Katherine Esther Jackson (born May 4, 1930) is the mother of the Jackson musical family.
Born as Kattie B. Screws in Barbour County, Alabama, she was the daughter of Martha Upshaw and Prince Albert Screws. Katherine's father later changed his surname to "Scruse", and her name was changed to Katherine Esther Scruse when she was four years old. Katherine contracted polio as a child, but she eventually made a full recovery from the disease. However,...
more
Katherine Esther Jackson (born May 4, 1930) is the mother of the Jackson musical family.
Born as Kattie B. Screws in Barbour County, Alabama, she was the daughter of Martha Upshaw and Prince Albert Screws. Katherine's father later changed his surname to "Scruse", and her name was changed to Katherine Esther Scruse when she was four years old. Katherine contracted polio as a child, but she eventually made a full recovery from the disease. However, because of the disease's effects, she walks with a noticeable limp. At four, her family moved to Gary, Indiana. There she met Joseph Jackson, whom she married in 1949. In 1965, Katherine Jackson became one of Jehovah's Witness.
During the group's early years, the mid-to-late 1960s, Katherine served a role as the group's designer. She often made suits for her five eldest sons to wear during their lengthy rides to the predominantly black venues and theaters where they usually performed. After the Jackson 5 signed with Motown Records in 1968,...
less
